Dishes
by BeccabooO1O
Summary: It had been happening for a few days now. She'd leave them there when she went to be and when she woke up they'd be gone.It hasn't been like this every night though. Only the days when she was too drained from doing everything else would this phenomenon occur.


**Let's do this. /Cartwheels of into the sun.**

**Dishes**

It has been happening for a few days now. She'd leave them there when she went to be and when she woke up they'd be hasn't been like this every night though. Only the days when she was too drained from doing everything else would this phenomenon occur.

She knew that Sokka wouldn't have done it. He never really did anything that involved helping her around the house. He was more of a strategist, spending his time studying maps and reading the journals of past explorers. Either those or going who knows where with Suki. This eliminated the Kyoshi warrior as well, because she was either practicing her stealth - scaring the spirits out of everyone - or with Sokka, which did not surprise her one bit.

Toph would never do something like this for her. The earthbender didn't really care. She took care of herself, except when it came to meal time. But that was expected.

The Duke couldn't have done it. He was the cutest little thing. He almost reminded her of the young boys back home int the South Pole. He played with wooden swords that her brother probably made and explored the Western Air Temple with Teo and Haru. Besides, he was too short to even reach the counter, mush less the sink.

She had asked Aang if he knew anything about it, but he had no idea that anything out of the ordinary was happening. That surprised her because he was always trying to do thing for her.

She was completely stumped about the mystery of the dishes. She just didn't know who was doing it. The fact that this person took the time od of his or her day to wash the dishes was really sweet and she felt like she had to thank whoever did this act of kindness.

That's why she was waiting , in her room, so that she could find out who has been doing these things. She heard a noise coming from the kitchen area. The waterbender rose from her bed and made her way towards the sound. She turned this way and that through the maze of hallways which led to the main area. She walked through the place where they all trained, determined to get to the bottom of this enigma. She heard another clanging of pots. She turned into the entryway of the kitchen to find...

Zuko.

He was doing the dishes, quietly cursing about the noise.

Her mind was reeling in complete and utter shock. Zuko? But how? Why would he do something like this for her when she hasn't been so trusting towards him.

She walked up to his side, took the towel lying on the counter next to the boy, and started to dry the recently cleaned dishes. If he noticed her, he didn't comment on it. The room was quiet. All that could be heard was the water running and the slight clatter of dishes as the two teenagers put them away when all the washing and drying was finished.

Zuko silently left the room when the cupboard door was finally closed, leaving Katara alone to go over the surprising event that had just transpired between them. She fell asleep trying to determinate why the firebender had done what he had done for her.

The next night was the same as the one before. Katara waited until everyone was asleep and went out to the kitchen. Zuko was already there, washing away. The waterbender stood next to him and started to dry the dishes. This happened in silence, yet again. He washed, rinsed, handed the now-clean dish to Katara, and she would dry it. The cycle was repeated. This repetitive system gave her mind time to wander off and think about the teenage boy next to her.

"Why are you doing this?" Katara asked when the last plate was put away in the cupboard. This made him stop and look at her oddly. "I mean, the dishes. The only reason why I haven't done them right away was because I've been too tired from the other things to do them. Not meaning that I hate working - I can't stay idle to save my life - but it's weird to not have to do something around this place. I've always been cleaning after people. Even back in the South Pole because Gran Gran couldn't do it all by herself. But that's beside the point-" She was rambling and she couldn't stop.

"You are always doing things for everybody else." Zuko said quietly. "I saw them there and asked Sokka if you guys did it in turns. He just shrugged and said that you usually did that kind of stuff. I saw you cleaning around and doing the laundry. So I decided that if something wasn't done by the end of the night that I'd do it, even if I supposedly rise with he sun, not the moon. They were just there and nobody else thought about doing something about them." He finished his explanation and looked at her.

Katara was shocked yet again by Zuko. She started to move. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she was hugging the firebender who had once been her enemy. To her surprise, he hugged her back.

"Thank you." She said. Zuko held her tighter in response. She smiled into his shoulder.

That night, Katara fell asleep, dreaming of an honorable young firebender that lived with her family.

**Now with this out of the way, I can work on my other story. *cough, cough* Skyscrapers *cough, cough***


End file.
